One Day, One Dream
by Kage Hasu
Summary: He remembered that horrible day like it had happened yesterday; the day he almost lost her. But with her looking up at him with the green eyes he loved so much – the elation that filled his heart at her words . . . that day was a distant memory. One-shot


Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling

Quote: "Life is short. Bend the rules. Forgive quickly. Kiss slowly. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile."

Verse: "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;" Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

A/N: Based on my parents reaction to the news of my birth and in celebration of my no-longer-pregnant cousin and her two sons: Wyatt and Weston.

One Day, One Dream

_He could remember that horrible day in fifth year as if it had happened just yesterday. They'd just taken their written exam for Defense Against the Dark Arts and almost the entire fifth year had gone out to relax by the lake._

_James and his posse had been . . . bullying . . . him in front of their peers. It hadn't been a new development. His childhood friend, his beloved flower, Lily had stood up for him and told off the prick. But in his embarrassment and rage over James' pettiness he had hurt the one person that meant the most to him. He'd called her that unforgivable word . . . Mudblood . . ._

_He would never, as long as he lived, be able to forget the hurt that had appeared on her face. She had always had an expressive face. It said I-can't-believe-you-just-said-that-to-me with pain and rage and an all-consuming hurt. _

_He'd regretted it as soon as the forbidden word had left his mouth. But words hurt far worse than stones . . . and you just like a thrown stone, you can't take words back. _

_That night he'd camped outside the Gryffindor common room. He'd tried to apologize but she hadn't understood. She'd been making so many excuses for him as it was. She couldn't take anymore. He'd been hanging around with people like Lestrange and Avery and called other Muggleborns _Mudblood_. What made _her_ so different?_

_His pride and fear had almost been his downfall. He almost hadn't said anything. _

"_What makes you so different?" He'd shouted back at her unthinkingly, his passion for her clouding his pride and any banishing any embarrassment he might have felt. "You're different because I love you!" She'd frozen; her large green eyes impossibly large as she stared up at in him in utter bafflement and surprise._

"_L-love?" She'd murmured absently, as though she wasn't aware of having even spoken. Then she'd focused suddenly unsettling eyes with such laser intensity that Albus Dumbledore's x-ray eyes didn't begin to compare. "And yet you hang out with Death Eaters in training?! Do you believe that you can have a relationship with m__e__ if you hang around people that serve a man who wants to wipe out people like me? What were you thinking? WERE you thinking?" _

_Quite apart from being put out from her criticism about the company he kept, Severus was stuck on the fact (for very good reason) that Lily hadn't immediately scorned his affections for her. It gave him something to hope about for the future. He had looked at her uncertainly, afraid of rejection._

"_You aren't . . . disgusted about my feelings for you?" She'd blinked in confusion._

"_Why would I? I mean, I care a great deal about you and . . ." she trailed off. The Slytherin's shoulders slumped. _

"_And you don't feel the same way." He'd finished. Lily had bitten her lip so hard it had almost bled._

"_Well . . . no." His face fell. "But like I said I do care a great deal about you, you're my best friend, so . . . maybe . . . we could try it out and see what happens?" She finished hesitantly. Severus looked down at her hopefully, mesmerized by her beauty and compassion._

"_You mean . . . ?" She smiled brightly. _

"_Yeah, we're officially. –"_

"GOING TO HAVE A BABY! Oh Merlin, we're pregnant. We're pregnant! I don't believe it; we're going to have a _baby!_" The shouts echoing throughout the house found their origin in the second floor bathroom.

Severus looked up worriedly as what sounded like a herd of elephants pounded down the stairs, the redhead wildly waving the positive pregnancy test in her hand. She skidded to a stop in front of him, wild eyes staring at the little strip in her hand.

"We're – We're pregnant." She breathed, her eyesight blurring with frustrated tears.

Severus's whole countenance had lit up in joy at the news but it dimmed slightly when he found that his young wife did not seem as exultant as himself. Gently he grasped her slightly shaking shoulders with his strong hands, leaning down slightly so as to look her straight in the face.

"Lily flower," he said gently, his husky voice going soft, "What's wrong? Aren't you happy we're going to have a baby?" He was unable to hide the hurt in his voice.

Startled and a little chagrined, Lily looked up at her husband of not even a full year, just now realizing how her reaction must have been taken by the young Potions Master. Bottle green eyes looked up at him in horror at the wounds her careless words undoubtedly caused.

"_No!_ No," she continued softly, "It's wonderful news, but . . . Sev, we haven't even been married for a year yet, and we're already going to parents? I don't know the first thing about being a mother. We were going to wait for a few more years before we even_ thought_ about children.

"Well, yes we were," Severus admitted, "But apparently God had other plans." A bright smile lit up the normally sour man's face as he gently rescued the slightly tattered strip from his wife's hand and carelessly dropped it on the floor in favor of seizing his wife around the waist and swinging her around in a circle.

Slowly an answering smile grew on his partner's face as she was swung around. Her hands reached up to rest lightly on either shoulder, her dark red hair sometimes obscuring both their vision as they spun.

Laughing loudly, the couple slowly spun to a stop, content to simply stay in each other's arms. Lily leaned forward to rest her head against her husband's strong chest, her fingers absently twirling a lock of silky black hair. (While she wasn't as skilled as her husband with potions she'd been working on a solution since they'd started dating. The combination of genetics and not taking proper care of his hair after certain potion fumes got to it had _finally_ been defeated by Muggle shampoo of all things.)

Severus sighed softly.

"I'll go make us some hot chocolate, okay?" Lily nodded, hands coming up to trace the tear tracks on her face. The redhead took a deep, steadying breath before making her way to the bathroom to wash her face.

Meanwhile Severus entered their bright, airy kitchen and retrieved sugar, baking cocoa, milk, mini marshmallows and vanilla extract from their various places of concealment. Waving his wand the baking cocoa and vanilla extract zoomed out from behind the cinnamon and basil. A saucepan floated out from the cabinet beside the oven and landed lightly on the stove.

With a swish and a flick of his wand the sugar, baking cocoa, milk, and miniature marshmallows swirled into the saucepan to start heating up. Occasionally twisting his wand in a circle, Severus stirred the mixture until the marshmallows were melted. Placing a weak cooling charm on the handle of the pan Severus gently transferred the pot over to the sink where he stirred in the vanilla and then ladled the steaming hot chocolate into two mugs.

A simple levitation charm had the two flower-print mugs following him like ducklings as he re-entered their living room. Lily entered not seconds later.

Brushing a strand of dark red hair out of her eyes, Lily practically collapsed onto the plush leather couch. The fiery witch jabbed her wand at the fireplace, flames shooting out the end of the magical stick and lighting the wood into a cheerful blaze. An amused smile played on Severus's lips as he gazed at his irritated wife.

Gently directing their beverages onto the glass coffee table he settled gracefully next to his wife, tugging her slim form so that she was half lying on him. A fluffy green blanket was soon summoned and settled around their bodies.

Severus silently handed Lily one of the mugs, sipping lightly on his own. With murmured thanks, graceful hands emerged from the warmth of the blankets to clench tightly on the chocolate filled mug. Unthinkingly, Lily tipped her mug back and immediately yelped. Sticking out her tongue, Lily fanned the burning flesh with her hand.

Severus couldn't help but laugh at the silly sight his wife made. Still trying to cool down her mouth Lily glared hotly at her husband something which only making him laugh even harder. Lily's glare lessened as her husband's chuckles echoed in her ears. Soon both were laughing helplessly.

As their humor died down Severus tightened his hold on the witch, his chin resting lightly on her head. They sat in comfortable silence, occasionally sipping their drinks.

Lily snuggled deeper into her husband's hold, her head coming to rest in the crook of his neck. Smiling slightly, Severus put down his hot chocolate, his newly freed hand immediately coming to rest on his wife's still flat stomach. His hand rubbed circles on her stomach gently with thumbs, his gaze even softer than his touch. Lily's own gaze softened as she watched Severus gently stroke her stomach with a look of fascination on his face.

"We're really going to have a baby," he breathed. Lily smiled.

"Yeah, I guess we are." She sighed lightly, "Now we have to think of names." Severus's head shot up to look his wife in the eyes, panic evident in his features.

"Names," he croaked, "already?"

Lily grinned mischievously.

"Well," she said, "the naming of a child is one of the most important things a parent can do before their baby is born. Just think of what could happen if we chose a bad name. Like Dweezil? Or Moxie? Or even Farley Drexel?" Lily shook her head. "No, this is something that we most definitely cannot be hasty on." Severus blinked perplexedly.

"Any suggestions?" he asked his wife.

"We~ell," Lily drawled with a mischievous sparkle in her eye, sounding far too much like a certain messy-haired, hazel eyed Gryffindor for her husband's comfort, ". . . nope!" she finished chirpily. With the same amount of will that had stopped Severus from reacting (much) to Potter's taunts after _that night_, Severus was barely able to contain a nervous chuckle.

"Why don't we start with boy names?" Severus suggested. Lily looked at the former Slytherin in contemplation.

"But what if we're having a girl? Or twins?" Severus twitched.

"_I don't even want to think about twins._"

"Well we can't use James, Severus, Tobias, or Thomas. As much as I love my father I don't want to name my son after him. I've always liked the name Harry." Severus thought the name over.

"It seems rather plain though don't you think? Maybe Harold or Harrison. We could call him Harry for short?" Lily's face brightened.

"Harrison! Oh, that's a pretty name." Lily mulled it over in her mind before nodding decisively. "Harrison. I suppose if we have a girl we should continue with the flower names." Lily sent Severus a sly look out of the corner of her eye. "You certainly like calling me your flower well enough."

Severus blushed lightly.

"Flower names, huh? There's Rose, Violet, Pansy, Lavender, Dahlia, Hazel, Holly, Iris, Ivy, Jasmine, Myrtle, Olive, and Fern, though we can't use that one as it's your mother's name." Lily nodded in agreement.

"I really like Holly and Ivy; both very pretty sounding names."

"Well we have plenty of time to think about it."

"Yes, I suppose we do," Lily agreed softly. ". . . How are we going to tell the family?"

"We're going to America with your parents in a month. They'll definitely notice your morning sickness." Lily winced at the thought. "As for my mother . . ."

"You're birthday's coming up. When we get together for that I'll gift you with a shirt that says 'Worlds #1 Best Dad.'" Severus looked at his wife flatly. She deflated. "Or we could just tell her I'm pregnant." Severus smirked lightly.

"That might be for the best, love."

XXXX

Epilogue

Lily panted harshly in the birthing room of Saint Mungo's. Red faced and exhausted but exhilarated, Lily almost squealed with glee when the Healer handed her a tiny blue bundle. Another Healer left the room to tell her parents and friends about her son.

Severus leaned over her bed, gaze fixed on the little squalling bundle of joy held gently in his mother's arms. Wrapping one arm around his wife, his other hand reached out towards his new son. One of his large finger gently tracing the boy's red cheeks in fascination and awe.

Sniffling slightly, Harrison Severus Snape opened up brilliant bottle green eyes the exact same shape and shade as his mother's. Wild black hair more suited to a Potter adorned his head as curious eyes gazed up at the black haired man in front of him. A smile curved tiny new lips and both parents fell in love all over again.

Just then the door opened to admit Lily's parents, Severus's mother, James Potter, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and a couple of Lily's female friends from Hogwarts. The Marauder's had mellowed out and become friends with the couple during their seventh year when James had finally realized that Lily wouldn't ever like him as he wished. The man was currently engaged to Hannah Abbott's aunt, Lena.

As friends and family cooed and passed the newborn around, Severus held Lily's hands tightly. With the war going on something like a birth was a wonderful thing to witness. And it was even more special as the baby in question was their own.

The Order of the Phoenix would continue to fight against the Death Eaters (what a silly name, how could any self-respecting wizard join a group called that) in the hope that one day the dream that their children could live without the threat of Voldemort would be realized.

Because that was something worth fighting for.


End file.
